Tasting Helfrich Alsatian Wines with Anne-Laure Helfrich

Anne-Laure Helfrich isn’t your typical European winemaker. At 23 years old, she’s probably the youngest person I’ve ever encountered in this business, yet she’s known the wine trade all her life. A third generation beverage-maker (grandpa started with Kirsch and dad moved the family into wine), Helfrich spends much of her time on the road, spreading the news about her family’s brand of wines from France’s Alsace region. I had the good fortune to taste six of Helfrich’s wines over dinner at San Francisco’s Bar Tartine.

Thoughts on the full lineup — three table wines, three grand crus — follow.